Shoe-tree.



No. 812,315, PATENTED FEB. 13, 1906.

W. D. WILDBR. SHOE TREE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 20,1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 13, 1906.

Application filed April 20,1905. Serial No. 256,563.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM D. WILDER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brockton, in the county of Plymouth and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inShoe- Trees; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention is an improved shoe-tree and it consists in theconstruction, combination, and arrangement of devices hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

The object of my invention is to effect improvements in the constructionof a shoetree whereby the heel portion is pivotally connected to thefront portion for angular movement to facilitate the placing of the treeinto a shoe and the removal of the tree therefrom and whereby the heelportion is rendered longitudinally adjustable with respect to the frontportion of the tree, and the latter is vertically adjustable, so thatthe tree may be used in shoes of varying sizes.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of ashoe-tree embodying my improvements, showing the same in one position infull lines and in dotted lines with the heel portion raised and extendedlongitudinally from the front portion and also showing the instepportion of the shoe adjusted to a raised position in dotted lines. Fig.2 is a longitudinal central sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is avertical transverse sectional view through the heel portion, taken on aplane coincident with the clampingscrew. Fig. 4 is a transversesectional view through the front portion of the tree, taken on a planecoincident with the adjustingscrew; and Fig. 5 is partly a sideelevation and partly a sectional view showing a modified construction ofmy improved tree.

The front portion 1 and the heel portion 2 of my improved tree, whichare appropriately shaped and are of any suitable size, are connectedtogether by a link 3, the front portion of which lies in a recess 4 atthe rear end of the front portion 1 of the tree and is pivotallyconnected to the front portion 1 of the tree by means of aremovable pin5, which may be inserted in coincident openings in the front portion 1and link 3. The rear portion of the link 3 operates in and extendsthrough a longitudinal slot 6, with which,the heel portion 2 of the treeis provided. The under side of the link 3 is serrated to provide aplurality of adjusting-notches 7. A clampingscrew 8 has its stem fittedin an opening 9 in the heel portion 2, which opening 9 extends acrossand communicates with the slot 6. The said stem of the adjusting-screwis rabbeted in one side, as at 10, for the reception of the link 3 andis provided near its lower end with a tooth 11, adapted to engage any ofthe notches 7 of the link. The nut 12 of the clamping-screw iscylindrical in form, 0 erates in a socket 13 in the upper side of tl feheel portion, and is formed or rovided with a handle 14. By this means t1e nut may be turned to engage the tooth 11 with one of the notches ofthe link or to disengage the same therefrom.

It will be understood that when the clamping-screw is disengaged fromthe link the heel portion may be adjusted longitudinally toward or fromthe front portion 1 of the tree to vary the length of the tree asmay berequired, and it will also be understood that when the clamping-screw isengaged with the link the heel portion is fixed at any desiredlongitudinal adjustment with respect to the front portion 1 of the treeand is adapted to be turned angularly with respect to the front portion,as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, to facilitate the placing of a treein a shoe or its removal therefrom.

The front portion 1 of the tree is provided with a horizontallongitudinal kerf, which extends from a point at'or near its rear end toWithin a suitable distance of the toe and which kerf enables the tree tobe expanded vertically, so that the tree may be caused to fit in shoesof varying sizes. Within the scope of my invention any suitable meansmay be employed for thus expanding the tree. In Figs. 1, 2, and 4 I showan adj usting-screw 17 for this purpose, which screw has a threadedportion engaging the threaded opening in the instep portion and has itsstem swiveled to the lower portion of the part 1 by a plate 18 andprovided with a winged head 19 whereby the screw may be readilyturned,the said winged head being disposed in a recess 20, with whichthe part 1 is provided.

In the modified construction of my invention shown in Fig. 5 I employ aneccentric cam 21 for the purpose of adjusting or vertically expandingthe tree, the said eccentric cam being shown as mounted in the instepportion of the tree and as engaging the lower portion thereof.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the inventionwill be readily undersood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from the principle orsacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what the tree and extending intosaid longitudinal slot of the heel portion, said link having notches inits lower side, a screw-stem in the vertical opening of the heelportion, recessed on one side to receive the link and having a tooth toengage any of the notches of the link, and a handle, bearing on the heelportion of the tree, having screw-threaded engagement with thescrevwstern and forming a nut to move the screw-stem endwise to engageor disengage the link to permit longitudinal ad iuslgment of'the heelportion of the tree on the In testimony whereof I have hereunto set myhand inpresence of two subscribing wit- IlGSSGS.

WILLIAM D. WILDER. Witnesses:

MoR'roN G. JOHNSON, ELIZA L. HAMMOND,

